Introduction to Connective Threads
Weekly journal examining science, technology, and philosophy to understand how to weave actionable threads of health, happiness, and human connection into a fulfilling life.
In Meditations (a personal journal of Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius), we get insight into the mind of Marcus Aurelius, arguably the most powerful man in the world at this time, and his ideas about how to consistently become a better version of himself. The above quote is one of my favorites as it highlights our human tendencies to place our goals in quantifiable realms such as work or sport but then, in the same breath, proceed to break it down and ask the fundamental questions of being a better person intrinsically.
I have loved the concept of becoming a better version of myself for as long as I can remember. I intentionally choose the phrase "becoming a better version of myself" rather than "becoming the best version of myself," as I have found over the years that it is the journey that compels me more than the destination.
The Foundation of Connective Threads
9 years ago, I came out of the closet as gay. This was a transformative moment for me (as it is for most people in the queer community) as I came to terms with the fact that I had built a façade for my entire life leading up to this point. I had aligned my identity with variables for society's expectations -- not the things that were true to me. And suddenly, I had the opportunity to change that.
This pivotal moment happened for me in my second year at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. I was fortunate as I had a footing in the academic world and was surrounded by thought leaders, researchers, and all the academic literature from economics to sociology that I could have ever asked for. Looking back, I definitely took a lot of this time for granted; however, I determined then that I would use the spare time I had on top of my studies over the next 3 years as an opportunity for me to maximize my experience, trial and build new systems for success, and understand what I really wanted to achieve - all on the foundation of finding out what worked for my authentic self.
I recall that year scrolling through Pinterest while looking for graphics for a business school presentation, and I came across the picture below, which still exists in the screenshots on my iPhone photos (thank you, Apple).
I had seen this picture and paused. I read it again, and again, and again.
For some reason, this quote was really resonating with me. I began to think about it, and I realized that having grown up in a very conservative town in Wisconsin, I was not exposed to many queer people who had lived lives that I admired. Since starting university, I had met LGBTQIA+ thinkers, business executives, and mentors who showcased to me that the life I dreamed of was possible.
I realized then that I wanted to be that person for my younger self or for any people who needed someone to look to for guidance or inspiration.
The Journey to Connective Threads
I want to start by stating that my journey over the past 9 years has not been perfect. I am by no means an expert in this area, but I think everyone can find value in deciphering information and sharing it through their perspective, experience, and interpretations.
I follow and often compare my life situations to an ancient school of Roman philosophy called Stoicism. One of the core principles of this set of thought can be summed up in a quote by Epictetus (Greek Philosopher born into slavery) roughly translated to "It's not what happens to you, but how you react to it that matters." I have read many iterations of this quote shared by many people, from Epictetus' pupil Arrian to modern-day philosophers like Ryan Holiday. Each time someone shares their take on this principle, the words slightly change, the emphasis is put on a new part, or certain words are left out. Each time I see a new phrasing, it feels like an opportunity to look at the principle through a new lens and see something different. A chance to learn about how it is being shared that way and why someone decided that these were the essential variables as opposed to others.
This led me to reflect on all of the ideas and lessons I have learned throughout my life.
I have the same opportunity to share my interpretations, beliefs, and reads of literature in the same way these philosophers did thousands of years ago. In the same way that researchers gather insights and share them in universities. In the same ways that most people have access to digital resources and can share any information as they begin to learn new ideas and want it to reach more people for the greater good of society.
I will break down some principles I expect to guide this series of journal entries for the coming years into 5 initial categories.
Sense of why
Biological Foundation
Evolving Tools & Research
Thought Leadership
Giving Back
So let's get into it.
A Sense of Purpose
In 2017 I was sitting at a conference in New York City in my third year of university when an individual by the name of Simon Sinek whom I had never heard of, came on stage. He had given each of us a copy of his new book "Start With Why," and I remember this 60-minute session being one of the most crystallizing moments in understanding how knowing one's purpose on this planet can catalyze the goals you are working towards.
Although most of Sinek's conversation that day in regard to business, I, at the time, was a student. I read his book and found it highly compelling. I decided to take a broad approach and start applying the 'Start With Why' mentality across my life. I began to find it helpful to understand how leveraging my purpose or my intentions was the most powerful way to start anything, from a project to a new relationship.
Thus, I am starting Connective Threads explaining why: How I got to this place, what has compelled me to share my thoughts, and why I look forward to continuing to write journal entries going forward.
2. Biological Foundation
Another foundational principle in my life is the study of epigenetics (which is my first journal entry coming next week). Epigenetics is the study of how your behaviors and environment can cause changes in your genetic expression. Put simply, the decisions you make matter more than your genetic predisposition. Every day, you have the opportunity to get up when you set your alarm, drink the amount of water that is recommended, get proper nutrients, exercise for at least 30 minutes, etc. etc.. Each time you make the decision to do or not do a task that you deem important, you are telling yourself what kind of person you are and how you will show up in the world, and your brain listens to that.
One of the most alarming charts to me is our continued issues as a society with obesity See below for the progression from 1975 to 2016.
Data source: https://ourworldindata.org/obesity
Epigenetics has marked a fundamental shift from viewing genetics as a deterministic variable that defines our traits and health outcomes to an understanding that factors in our control can influence gene expression without changing the DNA sequence. These new studies reveal how diet, stress, and other environmental influences can modify genes' activity, suggesting that our lifestyle choices and environment significantly impact our health and happiness. In my mind, this reshapes societal beliefs that have been held for decades in medicine, highlighting the importance of a holistic approach to health.
In my personal life, I have seen cancer, diabetes, and obesity on both sides of my family. I do not believe, however, that this means I cannot control whether or not I will end up with these diseases. I look at the many variables of my family through history: exposure to pesticides while farming, lack of education in proper nutrients or food quality, lack of exercise, and habits of drinking and smoking. These have had many impacts on their cognitive function, biological health, and genetic expression. I believe that with my guiding principles in life, through my reading of the scientific literature, and leveraging tools, I can understand what my body needs to maximize its health given the current resources on this planet.
I am a vegan.
I do not drink alcohol.
I am passionate about fitness.
I love to learn.
I plan to evolve with the times.
All of these intentions are in pursuit of consistently building health habits to become a better version of myself and ensure I lead a life that is fully of health, happiness, and human connection.
3. Evolving Tools & Research
I think one of the hallmarks of an intelligent person is someone who is willing to change their perspective on a situation when presented with a new set of facts.
I highly value continued education and learning in my day-to-day life. We are constantly finding new ways as a society to tell stories, share research, and have dialogue with other people who share similar interests. One of my favorite habits that I built into my routine started in 2018. I had a 40-minute walk to work in New York City and wanted to use the time effectively to learn about research and society. I started listening to podcasts. I remember these early days of podcasts when I would get so excited about publications that I respected getting into the game; like the Wall Street Journal coming out with 'The Journal' podcast in 2019.
These podcasts quickly became a healthy mix of my consumption alongside books and documentaries for topics I wanted to explore through an educational lens.
It wasn't until 2021 that I joined the world of venture capital. Here, I am truly surrounded by incredible subject matter experts on a regular basis who were pioneering changes in society and having healthy debates about how evolving research shapes the way they are investing and building companies. This felt like, for the first time, I was participating in the discussion I would listen to on my podcasts.
These pioneering companies are allowing us (among other things) insight into our biological function and changes that we can make daily to optimize our health and, in turn, our happiness. A few of my favorites (I will disclose that we have investments in these companies - but for good reason! We believe in them!) are Whoop, Oura, and Eight Sleep. I think the founders and current leadership teams are developing these tools to help us better understand our biological factors, such as HRV, sleep patterns, and expenditure on a consistent basis that allows us to make decisions in favor of our health outcomes.
Images from WHOOP, Oura, and Eight Sleep websites.
There are so many places to find emerging information and continue learning. Additionally, I am very fortunate in my career and for having access to new companies and ideas as they are coming to market. Thus, I look forward to sharing my thoughts and experiences through this medium.
4. Thoughts Leaders
In October of 2023, we hosted our very first-ever Gaingels Week. This week brought together thought leaders across the startup, venture capital, and investing realms to discuss emerging technology, markets, and debate trends and ideas. The demand was much more significant than we expected, with over 1,200 registrations across our 23 events in 5 days. We had topics from Technology that unlocks Human Potential to a State of the Union on Artificial Intelligence, guided mainly by the requests of our community worldwide.
This was the moment when I decided that I needed to start writing down my learnings to truly solidify the fire hose of incredibly useful information that I was receiving. Within the week, I had claimed the Connective Threads Substack domain and began writing out the topics that were transforming how I showed up in my life.
Being alongside thought leaders and pioneers in emerging markets is incredible to watch. I was getting insight into the minds of people running businesses valued at $100 million to over a billion dollars and impacting the lives of millions of people daily. Hearing these founders and subject matter experts being vulnerable and candid not only allowed me to be optimistic about the changes that are inevitably coming but understand the questions and thought processes of the people at the forefront of these innovations.
Picture from Gaingels Week event "Technology that unlocks Human Potential"
5. Giving Back
I have often shared snippets of my ideas around my favorite topics in short-form content on my social media platforms and in-person conversations. The most rewarding thing for me is getting responses from people who have implemented change after seeing the idea and feel more fulfilled because of it. I have seen my accountability group ideas centered around full-moon mindfulness (more on this in another entry) span from London initially to groups in New York and Paris, I have received kind remarks from consultants who, after having joined our company, significantly reduced drinking after being exposed to the science which led to a better vacation with their daughter, and many more example I will likely share throughout the journal entries.
I feel very fortunate at the age of 28 to have a seat at tables where decisions are being made, guided by mentors whom I consider visionaries in their respective fields, and have a platform that allows me to disseminate information that I believe can help my peers for the greater good. With that, one of my core principles will always be giving back, in the hopes that sharing this information can help inspire at least one person to make a change in their day-to-day life and become a better version of themselves in their own eyes.
Connective Threads to come
To this day, I have a decal on my bathroom mirror that reads "Be the person you needed when you were younger" as a reminder every day when I wake up and brush my teeth that I have a guiding purpose on this planet. I can use that power to make any decision and find growth every day.
So here we are, Connective Threads, the opportunity I am creating to share some ideas that have helped put my life on a positive trajectory. The ultimate purpose of this journal is to solidify my understanding of these ideas and continue to grow. Still, through my desire to also give back and help those around me, I look forward to sharing these ideas with my peers so we can grow together.
I ask for your patience as I am a new writer, and I will refine my style as I write more. I also plan to explore new, more effective ways to deliver information, so feedback is always welcome. Please remember that my style is curated to make this information resonate with my peers and not sound like a research paper.
I look forward to examining science, technology, and philosophy with each of you on a weekly basis to understand how we can weave actionable threads of health, happiness, and human connection into a fulfilling life.
This is amazing, and I am honored to watch you keep growing.